According to Moderna’s CEO, vaccines against cancer and heart disease could be ready by the end of the decade.
Dr Paul Burton said advances in mRNA – the technology used to make his company’s flagship Covid-Shot – had ushered in a golden age of vaccines.
He predicts that by 2030 there will be vaccines for “all kinds of” terminal diseases that “could save hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives.”
Early studies have already shown “great promise,” he added. But they probably won’t be a typical vaccine – they have to be highly personalized and expensive.
Moderna scientists say it could be possible to vaccinate against heart disease and cancer within five years (stock photo)
Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the US with 1.3 million deaths each year – or more than one in three recorded deaths.
Dr Paul Burton, chief executive of the vaccine maker, told The Guardian: “We’re going to have this vaccine and it’s going to be very effective and save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives.
“I think we will be able to offer personalized cancer vaccines against several different types of tumors to people around the world.”
He added: “I think what we’ve learned in the last few months is that if you ever thought mRNA was just for infectious diseases or just for Covid, the evidence now is that it’s definitely not.
“It can be applied to all types of disease areas; We treat cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, rare diseases.
“We have studies in all these areas and they have all shown great promise.”
Dr. Burton did not say how the vaccines would work, but previous studies have shown how mRNA can be used to fight cancer.
mRNA vaccines work by directing cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response against a specific pathogen, such as Covid.
However, scientists say these instructions can also be modified to direct cells to make the antigens from the surface of cancer cells.
This will trigger a response that alerts the immune system to a cancer growing in the body and triggers an attack.
Doctors say mRNA vaccines can be tailored to each individual patient, taking into account different types of cancer and differences between patients. But it can be expensive.
Trials of mRNA cancer vaccines are already underway in the UK and US, with results expected in the coming years.
Scientists also suggest that mRNA vaccines could be used to treat heart disease – the leading cause of death in the US.
Some suggest they could be used to target proteins made by certain genes that cause high blood cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.
Others suggest that they can also be used to stimulate the production of specific proteins involved in the repair of the heart and its function.
In a study published last year, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania said they used mRNA to remodel cells in mice to eliminate fibrosis.
Another study in mice, also from last year, showed that mRNA can be used to give instructions to heart cells. Scientists said it could be used to boost organ regeneration after a heart attack.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
